With the backing of the WA Police Union, City of Gosnells Councillor Kevin McDonald has officially announced his candidacy as an independent for the seat of Thornlie in the upcoming 2025 state election.
McDonald has lived in Thornlie for over 30 years, served in the WA Police for 29 years, and has been a councillor since 2021.
McDonald said he believes he has the knowledge and experience required to serve the local community effectively and address its needs, and as he is running as an independent, if elected, he would be free to address community concerns, without the impediments of party politics.
“As an independent, I am not constrained by party politics. I can push loudly for local issues without fear or favour and hold the government to account for its failures, such as rising crime rates and illicit drug crime,” McDonald said.
“If elected as an independent, I will show that the people in our electorate won’t be taken for granted anymore.”
In the 2021 state election, McDonald ran as the Liberal candidate for Thornlie, securing 19.1 percent of the votes after preferential voting but ultimately lost to incumbent Labor member Chris Tallentire.
McDonald has since resigned as a member of the WA Liberal Party.
As a former detective sergeant in the local area and currently a field officer with the WA Police Union, crime and police matters are issues close to McDonald’s heart.
He said he wants to improve working conditions for police officers and is pushing for enhanced support and resources for local law enforcement.
“I know what it means to support local police in their efforts to keep our community safe, and as an independent, I can keep holding the government to account for law and order matters with some authority,” McDonald said.
“The government has an urgent responsibility to improve police retention, increase police numbers on the ground and if elected, I will do everything I can to improve the safety and well-being of the Thornlie electorate and wider community.”
Currently Labor holds the Thornlie electorate with a substantial margin of 30.9 per cent and has remained a strong Labor seat since its inception.
McDonald said voters here are taken for granted and said he believes no major party represents the needs of the WA public, and that Labor is failing to invest in the Thornlie electorate.
“With Labor in charge at both federal and state level, available grant funding is not prioritised toward those considered safe Labor seats, preferring to invest in marginal seats,” he said.
“[They] have an expectation that the people of the Thornlie electorate will vote for them regardless, therefore they don’t feel obliged to invest in critical infrastructure.
Speaking to the Examiner Newspapers, the new Liberal candidate for Thornlie Mahesh Arumugam said he “welcomes the healthy competition” McDonald offers but is confident he is the right man for the job.
“Mr McDonald’s standing will not make any impact on my campaign,” he said.
“It’s very clear that people are not happy with the Labor Government with the percentage swing to the Liberal Party increasing day by day.”
The WA State Election will be held on Saturday, March 8, next year.
